4020. INTERN*****.A red-eared slider swims lop-sided. Why?

Respiratory infections are most often caused by bacteria. Many turtles with respiratory tract infections also have underlying vitamin A deficiency that requires correction. 

Your veterinarian may recommend taking radiographs (X-rays) and running blood tests and cultures to determine the cause of the infection. 

Treatment of respiratory tract infections usually involves administration of antibiotics, given orally, through injection, or possibly as nose drops. Very sick turtles may require intensive care, including fluid therapy and force feeding, in the hospital.

Dec 5, 2019. Day 7 of in-patient treatment. The slider is syringe fed Critical Care daily and has put on weight. He is more active. Today, Dr Sing tested whether he still swims lop-sided by putting him in a tank filled with water. He appears to be struggling to float and swim normally as seen in the above two videos.

The cause of lop-sided swimming is usually pneumonia in one side of the lung. Treatment is antibiotics, anti-inflammatory and syringe feeding of Critical Care to sustain the life of the anorexic slider.

He was taken out of the tank and not submerged in the water.


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Other cases

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Swimming lopsided is a sign of a respiratory infection. It happens because the lungs fill with fluid, making normal swimming difficult. One lung often has more fluid than the other, leading to lopsided swimming. The amount of fluid can change from day to day, Resulting in different degrees of problems.

Bubbles from the nose and mouth and open mouth breathing are further signs of respiratory infection. The mucus you found was most likely from his nose or mouth, too. Appetite loss often occurs as a respiratory infection progresses. You may also see frequent yawning, stretching the neck upward, lack of energy, refusing to leave the basking area, or conversely, trying to hide in the water.

Respiratory infections in turtles are not the same as colds in humans. In turtles, they are bacterial, not viral. They don’t get better on their own, but usually progress to life threatening pneumonia. This is one of the most common causes of death in young turtles.

When temperatures are not optimal, it sometimes helps a bit to increase them, but that doesn’t result in a cure, Your temps are perfect. There isn’t anything you can do on your own. See by a reptile vet. Once a diagnosis is confirmed, treatment usually involves prescription antibiotics, such as Baytril, being given by injection or orally.